White House science adviser to address research security

Webinar to be hosted by VCU on Thursday

Published September 9, 2020 by Sydney Lake

In the wake of the arrest last month of a University of Virginia researcher, White House science adviser Kelvin Droegemeier will speak with regional university researchers Thursday about research security in a webinar hosted by Virginia Commonwealth University.

Haizhou Hu was preparing to board a flight to China at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport when a routine screening uncovered that the U.Va. scientist was allegedly in possession of bio-inspired research simulation software code that he was not authorized to have. Hu, a Chinese national, was charged with accessing a computer without authorization or exceeding authorization to obtain information from a protected computer and theft of trade secrets, according to The Associated Press.

In an op-ed published by Fox News, Droegemeier, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), wrote, “The security and integrity of America’s research enterprise … are being undermined by some researchers and foreign governments that are robbing the American people of federal research dollars, new discoveries and innovations.”

During his talk Thursday, Droegemeier will discuss the importance of security and the work being done to address foreign government interference in the U.S. research enterprise.

The webinar, scheduled Thursday from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and hosted by VCU, is supported by the National Science Foundation.

Several Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland and North Carolina institutions will also participate.

The event is open only to university faculty, staff and students, but readers may contact Jordan Hunter (OSTP) or A.J. Hostetler (VCU) for more information.